FDEP using new technology to examine water quality

By Zack McDonald / The News Herald

Published: Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 05:08 PM.

A technical advisory committee will be formed to guide FDEP on the scientific intricacies of the rules since they will be implemented using new scientific technologies. The panel of experts includes representatives of the EPA, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, local governments and the academic community, according to FDEP.

The FDEP also will propose changes to its water quality assessment strategy to take advantage of the new lab tools and land-use surveys to determine where elevated bacteria levels may indicate an increased risk to human health, officials said.

Where high bacteria levels are detected, and using the most advanced source tracking capabilities, FDEP officials will direct actions that reduce the sources of the problems and restore water quality.

The first committee meeting will be held Aug. 20 at 9 a.m. in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
Bob
Martinez
Center
, Room 609,
2600 Blair Stone Road
in
Tallahassee
.

PANAMA CITYBEACH — Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials announced an initiative to develop new rules refining water quality standards for beach and recreational waters throughout the state.

The FDEP will propose updates to Florida’s bacteria criteria for recreational waters, applying guidance from the EPA. The changes ultimately will be presented to the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission and EPA for approval after a series of technical advisory committee meetings and other public workshops.

New laboratory tools and assessment methods recently allowed FDEP scientists to quickly identify whether fecal bacteria, an indicator for the possible presence of pathogens, are related to humans, animals or other sources. The new lab equipment and methods use DNA analyses of bacteria and modern tracers, including artificial sweeteners, to identify human waste from other sources, according to the FDEP.

Armed with that knowledge, the FDEP can more quickly identify and reduce the sources of pathogens in recreational waters and act to protect public health.

However, the science needed to set water quality criteria based on direct measurement of pathogens has not yet been developed, so FDEP devised a multi-pronged approach using the latest technology.

“Measuring fecal bacteria levels is easy,” said Drew Bartlett, Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration director. “Unfortunately, readily distinguishing the sources of the bacteria and the potentially harmful pathogens that may go along with them has been beyond scientific capabilities.”

Bartlett said since the tools are now available rules and protocols can be crafted to reduce the sources of the problems, restore water quality and protect public health.

A technical advisory committee will be formed to guide FDEP on the scientific intricacies of the rules since they will be implemented using new scientific technologies. The panel of experts includes representatives of the EPA, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, local governments and the academic community, according to FDEP.

The FDEP also will propose changes to its water quality assessment strategy to take advantage of the new lab tools and land-use surveys to determine where elevated bacteria levels may indicate an increased risk to human health, officials said.

Where high bacteria levels are detected, and using the most advanced source tracking capabilities, FDEP officials will direct actions that reduce the sources of the problems and restore water quality.

The first committee meeting will be held Aug. 20 at 9 a.m. in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, BobMartinezCenter, Room 609, 2600 Blair Stone Road in Tallahassee.